How to Use impotent in a Sentence

impotent

adjective
  • My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent.
    Sophie Mellor, Fortune, 30 Dec. 2021
  • Most of the culprits have remained untouched by a weak justice system impotent in the face of the wealthy and the powerful.
    Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo, Quartz Africa, 16 Nov. 2019
  • That’s where regret from an impotent trade deadline may kick in.
    Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY, 31 July 2019
  • The Chiefs' offense had been rendered impotent by that point, unable to move the ball after Kelce left with a concussion in the first half.
    USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2018
  • The Chiefs' offense had been rendered impotent by that point, unable to move the ball much after Kelce left with a concussion in the first half.
    Dave Skretta, Houston Chronicle, 6 Jan. 2018
  • The sciences as a whole are impotent before this question.
    Jason Blakely, Harper's Magazine, 10 July 2023
  • The offense can go from prolific to impotent in a quarter’s time.
    J. Michael, Indianapolis Star, 28 Feb. 2020
  • Along with an impotent offense, that stands out as the biggest story of Sunday's game.
    Jim Ayello, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Nov. 2020
  • One of these things is going to collapse, or blow, or leak, and the vain and impotent news cycle of the teachable moment will begin all over again.
    Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 12 Mar. 2018
  • The position of Cuyahoga County sheriff has been neutered to that of an impotent lap dog.
    Phillip Morris, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
  • And two, studies had come out, so to speak, showing links between Covid-19 and some impotent findings.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2021
  • And Erik Spoelstra has not been able to conjure any magic from an offense that is stale, predictable and impotent.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2023
  • The Rooney Rule is impotent, but please explain how it can be applied to an interim coaching hire?
    Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Nov. 2022
  • The Stars have been famously impotent in overtime this season, going 1-6 in games that end in overtime (plus 2-6 in shootouts).
    Matthew Defranks, Dallas News, 21 Apr. 2021
  • Unlike impotent Iowa, Penn State put playmakers on the field.
    Nathan Baird, cleveland, 29 Oct. 2022
  • Remember that our families, friends and neighbors are scared, idle, out of work and feel impotent.
    oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2020
  • In truth, the technocrats and the managers are almost always impotent in the face of the authoritarian state.
    Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
  • Thorson doesn't yet trust his young receivers, Justin Jackson (7 carries, 18 yards) is bugged by a leg injury and the O-line is often impotent.
    Teddy Greenstein, chicagotribune.com, 10 Sep. 2017
  • One state-of-the-art iron lung ventilator, and a few older, mostly impotent, devices.
    Bradley M. Wertheim, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 June 2020
  • On the other hand, why these expressions of impotent outrage?
    Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 25 May 2022
  • What if the end looks like an impotent offense surrendering amid the strange sound of Gillette Stadium boos at halftime?
    Adam Kilgore, courant.com, 9 Dec. 2019
  • To date, federal legislative efforts to protect the rights of millions to vote have been impotent.
    Abdul El-Sayed, The New Republic, 10 Mar. 2022
  • This would hurt the American rule of law and render our federal prison system impotent.
    Tom Cotton, National Review, 20 Sep. 2021
  • South Korea almost cries crocodile tears, China is amused, and the U.S. seems impotent.
    Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, 25 July 2017
  • The mounting pressure of remarriage — both from his parents, who wanted to prove their son wasn’t impotent, and the people of Rajpipla, who were looking for the next heir — added to his woes.
    NBC News, 30 Jan. 2018
  • How much should Saturday’s impotent performance erase the earlier win in the eyes of the committee?
    Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2020
  • Kentucky should act robustly and lead the way in both hemp and cannabis, not remain flaccid and impotent with its prohibition.
    Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, 26 Oct. 2022
  • The lack of a simple solution deprives politicians of easy slogans, but does not leave trustbusters impotent.
    The Economist, 18 Jan. 2018
  • There is no resolution of season-long plotlines, just new ones injected at the last minute as a tear-jerking cap on an otherwise impotent series.
    Geoffrey Bunting, TIME, 12 June 2024
  • Colleagues become impotent, making decisions that appease the boss at the expense of the organization.
    Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 28 June 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impotent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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